Modern corporations require many types of assets in order to function profitably. Depending on the business the corporation is in, the company may need raw materials, storage facilities, equipment, commercial real estate, information processing capabilities, communications systems and, of course, personnel. Since many assets or resources are not used at all times, they may be available for multiple users or for individual users for specific periods of time. It is important for companies to control the management of such shared resources in order to ensure proper utilization and justify continuing investment in the resources.
With the increasing need to accommodate worker mobility, managing and allocating shared corporate resources has become even more important. By ensuring that employees get the resources they need, wherever they are, and that real estate is used efficiently, companies can increase productivity and profitability.
The earliest mobile officing solutions were completely full-service initiatives run by concierges who managed reservations and set up workspaces for daily use. More recently, systems for managing and distributing resources among employees have relied upon paper-based spreadsheets, log books or e-mail calendaring. These approaches fall short in several areas, not the least of which is their inability to manage resources across the enterprise or provide Internet access to a geographically dispersed workforce. It is clear that a new technology infrastructure is required.